FIFA backs revamp of corruption investigation body

FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, March 30, 2012. Blatter promised that football's governing body will change the way it investigates corruption. FIFA's single-chamber ethics committee failed to gather enough evidence to prosecute some allegations of vote-rigging during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
— AP

FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, March 30, 2012. Blatter promised that football's governing body will change the way it investigates corruption. FIFA's single-chamber ethics committee failed to gather enough evidence to prosecute some allegations of vote-rigging during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
/ AP

FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, March 30, 2012. Blatter promised that football's governing body will change the way it investigates corruption. FIFA's single-chamber ethics committee failed to gather enough evidence to prosecute some allegations of vote-rigging during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)— AP

FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, March 30, 2012. Blatter promised that football's governing body will change the way it investigates corruption. FIFA's single-chamber ethics committee failed to gather enough evidence to prosecute some allegations of vote-rigging during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
/ AP

FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, March 30, 2012. Blatter promised that football's governing body will change the way it investigates corruption. FIFA's single-chamber ethics committee failed to gather enough evidence to prosecute some allegations of vote-rigging during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)— AP

FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, March 30, 2012. Blatter promised that football's governing body will change the way it investigates corruption. FIFA's single-chamber ethics committee failed to gather enough evidence to prosecute some allegations of vote-rigging during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
/ AP

FILE - Mark Pieth, Chairman of FIFA's Independent Governance Committee speaks during a press conference at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. The anti-corruption expert advising FIFA how to reform after a series of scandals says Sunday March 25 2012 that his 13-member panel has been "pretty tough" with football's world governing body in a report he will present to its executive committee on Friday. (AP Photo/keystone/Walter Bieri, file)— AP

FILE - Mark Pieth, Chairman of FIFA's Independent Governance Committee speaks during a press conference at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. The anti-corruption expert advising FIFA how to reform after a series of scandals says Sunday March 25 2012 that his 13-member panel has been "pretty tough" with football's world governing body in a report he will present to its executive committee on Friday. (AP Photo/keystone/Walter Bieri, file)
/ AP

ZURICH 
FIFA will change the way it investigates corruption and is prepared to examine any "credible" evidence of past wrongdoing, president Sepp Blatter said Friday.

Hailing a "historic day for FIFA's reform process" after a series of scandals, Blatter said it would revamp its ethics committee to create separate investigating and prosecuting units with new, independent leaders.

Blatter said the proposal presented by FIFA's anti-corruption adviser Mark Pieth got strong backing from his executive committee, some of whom have recently been cleared of corruption allegations by the existing - and often maligned - ethics body.

"Unanimously they agreed to this new approach in our, let's say, efforts for more transparency and integrity," Blatter said at a news conference announcing efforts in a promised two-year drive to clean up the world soccer body.

Still, Pieth's sharp criticism of FIFA's past investigative failings was not directly addressed and the timetable for much of his suggested reform program was pushed to 2013.

FIFA's reputation has been rocked by claims of bribery and vote-rigging that marred FIFA's presidential election campaign last year and voting in 2010 for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The credibility of Blatter's organization was also harmed when the existing, single-chamber ethics committee failed to gather enough evidence to prosecute some allegations.

"FIFA has ... shown a lack of pro-active and systematic follow-up on allegations," Pieth wrote in a report submitted to FIFA on behalf of his 13-member expert panel advising on transparency and clean government. "In some instances, allegations were insufficiently investigated."

The revamped ethics court could start work immediately after being approved by FIFA's 208 member nations in May.

"The new ethics committee will have the possibility to initiate investigation in case of credible allegations," Blatter said.

Pieth, a former United Nations investigator, recommended in his report that the new ethics body's "procedures and organizational measures will be applicable to past behavior."

One of Pieth's fundamental demands looks likely to be met, with FIFA set to allow outsiders unconnected to Blatter's so-called "football family" to oversee the judicial process. They will also have power to screen potential FIFA officials for integrity.

FIFA said Pieth will choose three candidates - which he suggested should be "truly independent persons of high standing and expertise" -to chair each of the investigative and judging chambers. Member countries will vote at the May 25 congress in Budapest, Hungary.

FIFA also will ask its congress to approve an audit and compliance committee exerting tighter financial controls on the world governing body, which shares much of its billion-dollar income with its member federations.

FIFA did not immediately accept Pieth's suggestion that the audit committee should decide, and publish, the president's salary.

On Friday, FIFA announced it made a profit of $36 million in 2011 and increased its reserves to $1.3 billion.

FIFA also is setting aside $100 million to insure the salaries of all players against injury on official national team duty. FIFA says the policy should take effect on Sept. 1, and will cover all matches played on FIFA international calendar dates.